Something Just For Pretty
by nancy777ca
Summary: I played with the idea that Kara grew up with the Adama boys. Spoilers for Colonial Day


Something Just For Pretty

Lee Adama pulled his hand out of his pocket in surprise. Clutched in his hand were a pair of drop earrings. Remembered loss hit him painfully in the gut and Lee leaned against his locker and closed his eyes against the rush of emotion. They had belonged to his mother and the last time he had seen them had been the day of Zak's funeral. Taking a deep breath, Lee fingered the two gold lines tipped with a small glass bead each. She'd given one to him to hold for her when she thought the other had fallen out somewhere at the gravesite. He pocketed it in his formal uniform without a second thought.

. He'd found it later.

After effectively disowning himself as his father's son in a huge blow out back at the house, Lee had gone back to Zak's grave and poured out his grief, guilt and fury in hot angry tears. His right hand, gripping the grass as he rested on his knees, had felt something sharp pressing into his palm and when he looked, there the earring was. He'd planned to give it back to his mother but at the time, he'd been so overcome with rage at the idea of even setting eyes on his father again that he'd driven home in a seething rush. Then and there, he decided he was done. He'd served out his remaining time on his ship and then he wanted nothing more to do with the military career that had bound him to the father he now despised. He'd taken off the uniform and hadn't looked at it again for over two years.

It was the only formal wear he owned now that the world had ended. It would have to do for the Colonial Day celebration that night. Lee had showered and coming upon Kara in the locker room, he'd teased her when he noticed that she wasn't going to be wearing a fancy dress tonight but her old formal uniform as well. Part of him was disappointed. The first time he'd seen her in a fancy dress had been at a school dance when she was fifteen. Shocked the speech right out of him and placed the first uncomfortable knowledge that Kara Thrace actually WAS a girl into his head.

Staring down at them now, resting delicately on his palm, Lee got an idea. "Something just for pretty." He said softly repeating his mother's words.

Kara Thrace stared down in surprise at the small box resting on her bunk. Lifting the top of the white box Kara's mouth dropped open. The elegant drop earrings bringing a rush of nostalgia so strong it weakened her knees, she had to sit on the edge of her bunk. The memories barreled through her and Kara took a deep breath, fighting tears.

"A woman doesn't need a pound of make up or revealing clothes to make her beautiful. All she needs is herself. Her confidence, intelligence, and a warm heart. However, it's always nice to have something just for pretty." Caroline Adama had used those words when she'd loaned a young Kara Thrace her first pair of earrings.

The young girl had come over to the house she considered her home more than the war zone that had been her own house. The fifteen year old had been dragged into the Adama house that afternoon by a 16 year old Lee when she'd refused to see the school nurse for a bloody nose and black eye, attained by some latest fight she wouldn't tell him about.

Caroline Adama had ushered Lee out of the room while she helped Kara with her injuries. As usual, Caroline used a deceptively gentle manner coupled with the just the right amount of evasive curiosity to tease the truth out of the young girl. Some of the girls in her gym had class had turned mean spirited when she'd beaten their leader in an assigned physical exercise. They had called her a boy with boobs. Told her that no boy would ever ask her out because she didn't look like a girl.

Normally, Kara Thrace was not one to be bothered by what Lee called ' the vacuum cleaners' but she'd been nursing a secret broken heart that day brought on by the fact her first crush, her best friend Lee, was asking someone other than her to a school dance. Her wounded ego put more credence to the girl's words than was warranted and when their taunts had continued after class, Kara had had enough and tackled the queen vacuum.

Caroline had shaken her head sympathetically and silently cursed her eldest son's obliviousness. The young girl had never said a word but Caroline, an Adama only by marriage, luckily did not share the Adama density when it came to matters of the heart. The boy was his father's son, Caroline had marveled remembering how she'd practically had to beat William Adama over the head with a bat to get him to notice her.

Her youngest, however shared his mother's observant sensitivity. Zak had asked her to the school dance that night after dinner and Kara figured why not? That would show those stupid girls and Zak was more fun to be around than Lee anyway. Stupid boy. Always with his nose in a book. The only reason didn't get picked on was because he could beat the crap out of anyone six ways to Sunday, despite his small size.

Zak had called her pretty that night. The first time any boy had done so and Kara told herself that maybe Zak was better than Lee anyway. Lee had stammered, flustered and told her she looked cute. Kara had wanted to deck him. Poodles were cute. Instead, she turned to the mean girls gathered in the corner staring at her and gave them a smile and a little wave with her middle finger. Lee had laughed and whispered "Vroom Vroom" as he and his date followed Kara and Zak onto the dance floor.

Kara lifted the earrings out of the small box and smiled through blurred vision as she read Lee's nearly intelligible writing on the small note at the bottom of the box:

Something just for pretty,

Lee.

When he saw her in the new blue dress she was able to trade an extra bar of soap for, Kara felt vindicated by the stunned but appraising smile on his face. The little gawky girl had indeed grown up good, Kara thought to herself, fighting a much too girly giggle than she would ever allow herself. Herself, she'd been hard pressed not to stare at the way he filled out his uniform. Despite the years and loves between them, the boy had grown into a man who could still do funny things to her stomach. Then Lee had opened his mouth and complimented her knees of all things! Kara fought a burst of laughter. Some things never changed. Except this time, it was Lee who asked her to dance and when he held her close she felt not only pretty, but beautiful.

As they spun around on the dance floor both remembered Caroline Adama and silently gave thanks.

The End


End file.
